Box Score
LAKELAND â€" Erika Garcia has been the hottest pitcher in the Sunshine State Conference for the hottest team in the league, and though Florida Southern had her on the ropes Friday night, the big bat of Laura Saladrigas and relief pitching by Jennie Von Doellen pulled Nova Southeastern through for another win. That trio offset a big night by freshman Kelliann Connors and another strong effort by junior Chelsea Oglevie, as the Sharks hung on for a 3-1 victory.
Nova Southeastern (21-21, 6-13) extended its winning streak to eight games, and Garcia extended hers to five. The junior from Pembroke Pines is 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA during that stretch after pitching just 5.1 innings prior to that with an 0-3 record. Florida Southern (13-26, 4-12) got to her for a run in the second inning, but Saladrigas brought the Sharks back with a 2-run homer in the top of the fourth and an RBI single in the top of the sixth. Then, when Florida Southern got two hits to start the bottom of the seventh, Von Doellen came on and got the final three outs to end the game.
Connors, meanwhile, went 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Oglevie went the distance in the pitcher’s circle while giving up just two earned runs on six hits, the same number allowed by Nova’s two hurlers. Oglevie also had four strikeouts and no walks, but fell to 9-14 on the season.
The Moccasins took their 1-0 lead in the second inning when freshman Leah Pemberton (Valrico, FL) doubled and came home on the first of Connors’ three hits.
The Sharks came back though when Samira Tanaka picked up what amounted to an infield double leading off the top of the fourth, and Saladrigas followed with a home run to straight-away center, her fourth of the season. The double by Tanaka was a blooper over the head of junior third baseman Gianni Artidiello (Miami, FL) that landed just inside the fringe of the outfield grass, and took a strange bounce into foul terrirtory.
Oglevie (Tampa, FL)Â retired seven in a row after the home run before Tanaka singled into right in the top of the sixth for her third hit of the game. Tanaka ended up at third on an outfield error and scored when Saladrigas lined a single into left. Saladrigas was later caught stealing, one of two runners thrown out by freshman catcher Jordan Alexander (Valrico, FL).
After the RBI single by Connors (Waterford, CT) with one out in the bottom of the second, Garcia held the Mocs to just two hits over the next four innings: another single by Connors in the fourth and one by sophomore Cassie Haynes (Allen Park, MI) in the fifth. In the bottom of the seventh though, Connors and junior Khaliah Brown (Groveport, OH) started the inning with back-to-back singles, bringing Von Doellen into the game for Garcia.
Von Doellen got a foul-out by Haynes for the first out, and a double play from Tanaka at shortstop when she caught a low line drive by Artidiello that was barely off the ground, and threw back to first to double up Brown.
That made a winner of Garcia (5-3), who gave up six hits and one walk in 6.0 innings, and struck out three. The save was the first of the year for Von Doellen.
Florida Southern and Nova Southeastern conclude their series on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.
